Addisen Fisher watched softball standouts before her like Megan Faraimo and Rachel Garcia with aspirations of following in their footsteps. As the 2024 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year, the Bend, Oregon, native Fisher is doing just that in more ways than one. 

Fisher is headed to 12-time NCAA championship-winning program UCLA in the next academic year, joining the long list of stars who shined in Westwood over the years — a list that includes Faraimo and Garcia. And, like both Faraimo and Garcia, Fisher embarks on her Bruins career with Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year honors to her credit. 

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"The first time I became aware of the Gatorade Player of the Year and how big of an award it is was when I watched Megan Faraimo win [in 2018]," Fisher said. "I was probably 12, 13 [years old] watching it and [thought] it would be pretty cool to get someday."

Someday came for Fisher, whose surprise presentation of the award included her Bend High School teammates, her mother, and 2015 Gatorade Player of the Year Garcia. 

Just a week prior, Bend claimed the Oregon 5A state championship with a 2-1 win over Lebanon in the title game. The victory scored a measure of revenge for the Lava Bears after bowing out in the state playoff semifinals to Lebanon a year prior and put an appropriate punctuation mark on Fisher's outstanding high school career. 

She headed to her presentation of the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year trophy expecting to take a quick photo with the Lava Bears' championship banner. Fisher — who laughed she "got out of bed like 15 minutes before" — was in for quite the shock when she heard her mom call her name, then turned to see her with the trophy. 

The pitching staff next year is looking 🔥🔥

Incoming freshman @AddisenFisher has been named the Gatorade Softball National Player of the Year!

🗒️: https://t.co/atMmWAOgd8 #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/GMSXaEoo0g

— UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) June 12, 2024

"I just started crying and had to give my mom a big hug," Fisher said. "I don't think it's really sunk in yet. ...I just am so amazed and grateful that I get to be one of those players [recognized as Gatorade Player of the Year]."

Another member of the exclusive club Fisher joins, Garcia, added to the festivities when she congratulated Fisher over a video call. Garcia moved on from Highland High School in Palmdale, California, after winning Gatorade Player of the Year to help UCLA to the most recent of its 12 national championships in 2019. 

Garcia was twice named winner of the Honda Cup during her time as a Bruin and presented to the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. 

Her illustrious career is a prominent part of the lore that inspired Fisher to sign with UCLA for her own collegiate journey. 

"UCLA has always been the dream. When I was super little, every time UCLA would play...my mom would sit me down and be like, 'Watch this, this is how you want to [play]."

Fisher obviously took those lessons to heart. She completed her time at Bend with a batting average of almost .600 over four varsity seasons with 43 home runs. She hit 17 round-trippers in a senior season that elevated her already exemplary play to another level. That included swiping 16 bases, more than she had in her previous three seasons combined. 

"I've always known I've been kind of a fast runner. "I lift a lot, I do a lot of agility training, and so this year I told my coaches, 'I want to steal bases this year. This is a big part that I think can help our team,'" she said. 

Adding a whole new facet to her game reflects the qualities that defined Fisher as worthy of Gatorade Player of the Year. Integrating another phase offensively while still dominating in the pitcher's circle just made Fisher that much more productive. 

And, indeed, her pitching was top-notch. Fisher completed her fourth straight season with an ERA of less than 0.50, posting a 0.37. She struck out 259 batters, giving her a staggering 845 punch-outs for her Bend tenure. 

"With such a talented pool of competition, being selected as the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year is a testament to Addisen's hard work and achievements on and off the field,” Gatorade president and general manager Michael Del Pozzo said in a statement. “Addisen’s commitment to excellence in all facets of life is inspiring, and we’re excited to see what’s next for her.”

Next, of course, is UCLA where Fisher said she plans to study Communications with aspirations of being a TV analyst. Given her track record of achieving her goals, don't be surprised when you see Fisher on the screen someday. 

But that comes after her softball career. With the Gatorade National Player of the Year in tow, Fisher gets to continue following in the footsteps of the greats before her, and those who inspired her like fellow Gatorade winners Garcia and Faraimo. 

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